Cooperation between the French authorities and Frontex will continue next year. Questioned before French senators on Thursday, Aija Kalnaja, the executive director of the European border surveillance agency confirmed that aerial surveillance will continue in 2023. This operation had been set up almost a year ago, at the following a shipwreck in the English Channel which claimed the lives of at least 27 migrants.
The work of Frontex called into question
Frontex has been implicated in several journalistic investigations and in a report by the European Anti-Fraud Office (Olaf), for its role in illegal returns of migrants by the Greek coast guard, when it was under the management of Fabrice Leggeri, who resigned last April.
This year, the number of illegal migrants returning to their country of origin has increased “significantly”, according to the new Latvian director of Frontex.
With 21,000 returns, including more than 12,000 forced and more than 7,000 voluntary, this number is up 30%. “We must conclude readmission agreements with the countries of origin”, advocated Aija Kalnaja. Frontex, whose mandate was strengthened in 2019, is the European Union agency with the largest budget.